The most refreshing aspect though for me is that 'pure' photography is still alive and well and that these strong images work for the most part due to strong composition, timing, framing and all the 'traditional' elements that have made photography into the medium it is.

These are chosen and work because they are good images, not because they are well 'processed'. I find the reliance on heavy digital 'Photoshopping' which is the scourge of 'amateur' photography magazines and most photo fora, quite depressing actually and usually want to vomit when I pick up one of these magazines off the shelf only to find them full of images which they hold up as examples of excellent work which look more like digital paintings than photos. Just my opinion - you don't have to agree with it. After all, you're entitled to be wrong